Bottle-cap remover.



F. JIKRISTOFEK.

BOTTLE CAP REMOVER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21, I914.

Patented July 17, 1917.

FRANK J. KRISTOFEK, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

BOTTLE-CAP REMOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

Application filed April 21, 1914. Serial No. 833,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. Knis'rornk, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Cap Removers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the production of a simple andinexpensive device, which is adapted to aid in the eflicient removalfrom the mouths of milk and cream bottles, and other containers, theflexible cap ordinarily. used for closing the bottle. Devices have beenemployed for the above purposes, but they have accomplishedsubstantially the same result in an ineffective man ner, often timescausing the milk or cream to be spilled and spattered upon the clothingand hands. My invention entirely overcomes this objection, and enablesthe cap to be removed or inserted in an eflicient manner. The cap whenremoved is retained by the remover and can be reinserted in the bottleneck without touching the cap by the hands.

'In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan looking at the bottom of the bottle cap r mover; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section taken on the line X-X, of Fig. 1. My inventioncomprises three main elements, the body A, the handle B, and theimpaling pin C, the latter two elements being formed integral. The bodyA is in the form of a substantially flat circular button, although itsshape may be variously modified, so long as it is adapted to be receivedin the neck of the bottle. This button consists of a shell made in twopieces 2 and 3, the part 2 forms the back of the button and is made froma thin sheet disk dished upwardly to form a concave lower surface 4:.The edge of this back is curved up to form a flange 5. The top piece 3of the shell is made from a thin sheet disk dished to form a convexouter surface 6. The periphery of the top member 3 is turned down andbeaded over the flange 5 to hold the parts 2 and 3 together. A suitablecovering forming a jacket 7 is secured over the surface of the top piece3 and is preferably made from celluloid forming a smooth finishedsurface which'can be easily cleaned and which is adapted to bear anysuitable advertising printed matter. The handle B and impaling element Care made from a single piece of wire bent be- The end 10 of one side isoffset immediately within the part 2 and the other end extends to thecenter of the button where it is bent downwardly and passed through thecentrally disposed opening 11 in the member 2. The extremity of the sideof the handle extending through the opening 11 is shaped to form a point12, which is turned back into a shoulder piece 13, and then inclineddownwardly and backwardly, thus forming the impaling member. per orothersuitable soft material is interposed between the member 3 and the sideof the handle carrying the impaling element, lying within the button sothat when pres- A disk 1 L made of pa-..

sure of the thumb upon the surface of the button is applied in removingthe cap from the bottle, the side of the handle carrying the impalingelement does not dent the surface of the button and the surface of thebutton is softened. In use the impaling element is struck down throughthe paper cap and the shoulder 18 engages the material of the cap, sothat the cap can be lifted out ofthe neck of the bottle easily byapplying upward pressure upon the handle and using the opposite end ofthe button as a fulcrum against the cap. The concave surface 11 0f thebutton serves to cause the cap to adhere over the shoulder 13 after thecap has been removed, whereby the cap can be easily reinserted in theneck of the bottle without having to touch the same and soil thefingers. After the cap has been reinserted the remover can be disengagedwithout having to touch the cap.- There is a distinct advantage attainedby my invention, by placing the impaling element between the extremitiesof the remover whereby one end of the remover may be used as the fulcrumand the other end as a handle, in forming a shoulder on the impalingelement, and in forming a lower concave surface on the button, whichco-acts with said shoulder to secure the cap on the remover withoutdisengagement until purposely separated.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to haveit understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the scope of the followingclaim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is A bottle cap remover and replacer comprising ahollow circular button having a dished lower face, a handle formed of asingle strand of wire bent intermediate its ends to form a loopprojecting outwardly from the periphery of the button, the strands ofsaid wire entering the button within which one of the strands is offsetto fixedly engage the inner periphery thereof, the other strand beingbent downwardly and passing centrally through the lower face of thebutton to form a cap engaging prong, and a disk guard interposed withinthe button between the prong end of said handle and the upper portion ofthe button as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. KRISTOFEK.

Witnesses B. MoCoMBs, S. L. WAsoHnNnnnGnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C.

